NY - UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot in Midtown. #2

[armchairagatha]

I read the BT arrived in the city on Monday.

ETA, arrived Monday, wife’s birthday is Tuesday and murdered on Wednesday.

you mean Thompson's wife's birthday was on Tuesday? Weird coincidence.

 

[MassGuy]

Latest from CNN:

Stayed at hostel for 4 nights, checking in November, 30 - This tells me that there’s going to be a hell of a lot more video than we already know about.

Still trying to access burner phone.

John Miller says they’re going through all the tips they’re receiving from the photo release.

May have used a bolt action weapon (the one we’ve discussed) that made it appear he was clearing a jam, but that’s not what was going on. Gun favored by assassins.

I don’t know how this would explain him ejecting unspent rounds though.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

you mean Thompson's wife's birthday was on Tuesday? Weird coincidence.

Yes

 

[ElizaKate]

We don’t honestly know that it was a burner.
Or that he was communicating with anyone else about the shooting, though…

It could have just been the man’s phone. Or a stolen phone he just tossed or dropped for funsies (he did take time to write on the rounds, so we know he thinks those kinds of taunts are cute).

MOO

That's true we don't. LE suspect.
Not sure who you're communicating with at 06:30 in the morning, moments before you plan to kill someone but yup we don't know.

 

[fridaybaker]

Question: Why would he bother to drop a burner phone? Especially right at the crime scene area. Why not ditch in Central Park, where it at least wouldn’t be found right away? It’s a burner, therefore he can’t be tracked by it, right?

 

[acutename]

something student like about this killer- young, backpack, bicycle, hostel, Starbucks. Maybe dreams of being a revolutionary? Has a weird British pistol- was that in somebody's attic? And who writes on bullets? Not convinced he is US; really think he went to school in NYC and got used to the subway, the park, the alleys, etc. I do not think he believes he is a terrorist; believes he is saving the world. IMO. Would not be surprised if he wrote a paper on health care policy or medical ethics or something like that and would not be surprised if he got (or made) his first fake ID to drink beers. IMO. Also would not be surprised if he went to some more rural prep school at some point and they had a gun club. All IMO.

 

[whitelilac]

Though it's just a moment in time, the smiling picture is on my mind.
If this guy was enraged, angry, and vengeful at this corporation's treatment of health needs, I would expect his expression to be so before the shooting.

He seems so flippant and comfortable in that pic. Not someone who wants revenge and is seething.

Again, it's just a moment and we don't know the circumstance at that point, but it's ...odd.

It doesn't seem personal, ... but rather idealogical.

 

[setyourselffree]

Question: Why would he bother to drop a burner phone? Especially right at the crime scene area. Why not ditch in Central Park, where it at least wouldn’t be found right away? It’s a burner, therefore he can’t be tracked by it, right?

One of the many mysteries. Could have tossed it into the water in Central Park. Again, why Starbucks (for water and protein bars nonetheless), why leave the phone... so many 'mistakes' that it feels on purpose.

 

[getthefax]

Latest from CNN:

Stayed at hostel for 4 nights, checking in November, 30 - This tells me that there’s going to be a hell of a lot more video than we already know about.

Still trying to access burner phone.

John Miller says they’re going through all the tips they’re receiving from the photo release.

May have used a bolt action weapon (the one we’ve discussed) that made it appear he was clearing a jam, but that’s not what was going on. Gun favored by assassins.

I don’t know how this would explain him ejecting unspent rounds though.

Maybe he worried the powder would burn off the sharpie, and wanted the writing on the unspent rounds to be legible? Do we know if the writing was on the unspent rounds or the fired casings? I’m not sure whether the powder would have burned off the ink…

I’m still working with my “terror-ish group” (tm) theory. Seems like sport for him.

MOO

 

[getthefax]

That's true we don't. LE suspect.
Not sure who you're communicating with at 06:30 in the morning, moments before you plan to kill someone but yup we don't know.

Or a fake phone call, so he looked busy.

It was only 6:30am in the eastern time zone…

 

[SRWCF]

Agreed, plus it's a high-profile killing because he's the CEO of a major healthcare organization. Not some Joe Schmoe. That's what grabbed my attention. United Healthcare used to be our health insurance and is again for my husband's Medicare.

Also because of the brazen way the murder was carried out. In public and at a time of day where the streets could have been starting to fill up with people walking to work, etc. He's no dummy. He probably cased the area in the prior weeks to see what the typical foot traffic was like on a weekday. For whatever reason he chose to use a silencer. Yeah, sure, he didn't want to attract attention with a gunshot, but he's literally killing someone on the street with foot and vehicle traffic going by, in addition to security cameras everywhere, so this act was not going to go unnoticed anyway.

 

[BUF]

If he stashed that e-bike earlier for his get away….where?

 

[orchidaceaes]

Can't remember the words on the bullet now because I'm tired, but the 3rd word was Depose. Sounds to me like the "message" was to kill him because of his position at UHC. So now I'm leaning back towards amateur with a grudge.

Depose is so interesting to me. It has multiple meanings: to remove from a place of power and to testify on the record. Would BT be undergoing depositions in regards to the DOJ investigation? Probably, right?

 

[arielilane]

Thought Id post these links for anyone who may be interested.
Many issues with UH Group. The articles and information provided is disheartening.
Nonetheless it does not justify the execution of BT. moo


Inside UnitedHealth's Playbook for Limiting Mental Health Coverage


Inside UnitedHealth's Effort to Deny Coverage for a Patient's Care


What Will UnitedHealth's New Trove of Claims Data Mean for …


UNITED HEALTHCARE GROUP & CO. - Tracking PPP - ProPublica


United Health Foundation - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica


EviCore, the Company Helping U.S. Health Insurers Deny Coverage ...

ProPublica

ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

www.propublica.org

 

[toucan1234]

The HI hostel does not accept guests from NYC, so he used a fake NJ ID. Maybe he used that to purchase the gun in CT, too.

Possibly a dumb question, but what do you mean it doesn't accept guests from NYC? I'm not especially familiar with Hostels but I can't fully get my head around that. Is that a normal policy for hostels to not allow locals to stay? And why would that be?

 

[MinnesotaMary]

Can't remember the words on the bullet now because I'm tired, but the 3rd word was Depose. Sounds to me like the "message" was to kill him because of his position at UHC. So now I'm leaning back towards amateur with a grudge.

I read the 3 'D' words on the bullets refer to a book that was an expose of the greedy money grubbing reality of these health care ins. cos., and surely there's a lot of online murder-level rage being expressed - I can't recall any names of the many Apps there are now where people can easily chat with liked-minded haters.

 

[SRWCF]

Latest from CNN:

Stayed at hostel for 4 nights, checking in November, 30 - This tells me that there’s going to be a hell of a lot more video than we already know about.

Still trying to access burner phone.

John Miller says they’re going through all the tips they’re receiving from the photo release.

May have used a bolt action weapon (the one we’ve discussed) that made it appear he was clearing a jam, but that’s not what was going on. Gun favored by assassins.

I don’t know how this would explain him ejecting unspent rounds though.

I'll say it, again: this is a good looking guy. Lots of people, especially women, will remember his face. That's a good thing. No blending in for him!

 

[Charlot123]

I agree with those who have said that this murder is getting so much more attention than other murders that happen in NYC.

IMO it’s not only because “rich white man” gets more attention than others.

It’s also because midtown Manhattan is not a common area for this type of crime.

It’s very brazen to shoot someone at close range on a sidewalk in such a well-traveled, busy district.

Even on a cold day at 7 in the morning there will be people around. People are heading out for their morning run before work, people are getting their coffee (like the suspect) and gearing up for their busy day. People are getting off the night shift. Etcetera.

There are in fact fewer crowds than there were prior to Covid and people working remotely, but it’s still midtown Manhattan.

IMO one additional factor adding to the publicity and adding to the amount of effort into catching the suspect has something to do with NYC being an epicenter of business and of tourism.

If business people across America feel they aren’t safe in one of the safest areas in NYC, then they may not come. That would be billions of dollars in future lost income for NY industries such as hotels and restaurants.

Also because it’s holiday season here and we have so many tourists at this time of year. A gunman killing someone in front of a hotel is a black eye for the city.

Of course I know that BT’s life shouldn’t matter more than the average Joe, and it doesn’t, but the ramifications hitting the business class is a blow to NYC revenue.


JMO

I think that big business knows a little bit more about Brian than we do. They may know that the scenario why he is hit might be different, and very much so.

 

[clearskies1]

Also because of the brazen way the murder was carried out. In public and at a time of day where the streets could have been starting to fill up with people walking to work, etc. He's no dummy. He probably cased the area in the prior weeks to see what the typical foot traffic was like on a weekday. For whatever reason he chose to use a silencer. Yeah, sure, he didn't want to attract attention with a gunshot, but he's literally killing someone on the street with foot and vehicle traffic going by, in addition to security cameras everywhere, so this act was not going to go unnoticed anyway.

But seconds could count with a get away. He didn't know ahead of time if anyone would see the incident in real time. The street wasn't crowded and it was still dark-ish. If BT left his hotel even earlier it would have been even less crowded and darker. A silencer could matter in terms of fleeing before LE could get their act together. JMO.

 

[helix527]

Possibly a dumb question, but what do you mean it doesn't accept guests from NYC? I'm not especially familiar with Hostels but I can't fully get my head around that. Is that a normal policy for hostels to not allow locals to stay? And why would that be?

I believe it's to discourage homeless or transient people from staying.